Davit apparatus having a carrier member



March 15, 1955 M. WOODRUFF DAVIT APPARATUS HAVING A CARRIER MEMBER 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Nov. 24, 1952 INVENTOR.

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March 15, 1955 M. L. WOODRUFF DAVIT APPARATUS HAVING A CARRIER MEMBER 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 24, 1952 United States Patent DAVIT APPARATUSHAVING A CARRIER MEMBER Morgan L. Woodrutt, Newton, Mass.

Application November 24, 1952, Serial No. 322,233

9 Claims. (Cl. 9-36) This invention relates to davit apparatus providinga supporting carrier for a small boat or tender.

One object of my invention is to provide davit apparatus that can beoperably connected to a cruiser stern board of various sizes and shapes.In this respect it is an improvement over the davit apparatus disclosedin my Patent No. 2,473,557, dated June 21, 1949.

Another object is to provide such apparatus that will, by a simple,rotative movement, move a tender to position to be lowered into thewater, and also by a reverse, rotating movement, move it to carryingposition upon my apparatus where it supports the tender entirely beyondthe cruiser or larger boat it serves.

A further object is to provide such davit apparatus that can readily befolded into compact position next to the cruiser stern when not in use.

The foregoing and other objects which will appear as the nature of theinvention is better understood, may be accomplished by a construction,combination and operative arrangement of parts such as is disclosed bythe drawings. The nature of the invention is such as to render itsusceptible to various changes and modifications, and, therefore, I amnot to be limited to the construction disclosed by the drawings nor tothe particular parts described in the specification; but am entitled toall such changes therefrom as fall within the scope of my claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of my davit apparatus shownattached to the stern board of a cruiser, and in folded position.

Figure 2 is a side elevational view otherwise similar to Figure 1, thedash lines showing the position of said apparatus when partly moved tosupporting position.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view showing my davit apparatus incarrying position.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of my apparatus, the dash linesindicating a tender and tackle rope connected thereto and to myapparatus, the tender being in an intermediate position.

Figure 5 is a side elevational view of my apparatus, in carryingposition, the dash lines indicating a tender carried thereby.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary, enlarged, side elevational view showinglocking mechanism holding the davit, carrier member and supporting armtogether in carrying position.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary, side elevational view, partly in section,showing a tackle member with tackle rope connected to it and to atender, the dash lines showing the position of the tender when thelatter is drawn to a position adjacent the cruiser stern, and thechanged position of the rope.

As illustrated, two connector members 12 are fixedly fastened to thestern board or transom S of a cruiser, or other relatively large boat,which is served by a dinghy or tender T. Each said member 12 has anupper slot 14 and a lower slot 16. While I show two connector members 12fastened at opposite side portions of said stern board S, thisconnecting means could be made as a single member, or more than two.

Pivotally attached to said connector members 12 are folding, supportingmeans 18 adapted to carry said tender T. These means embody two holdfastor upper supporting arms 20 in each of which a pivot pin 22 is set atone end that enters a said slot 14, while the other end is pivotallyconnected as at 24, to a joining member 26, there being two of thelatter. Two lower, supporting arms 28, each having a pivot pin 28a s ettherein at one end that enters a said slot 16, are pivotallyconnected,as at 32, at the other end, to sald ommg members 26.

Two elongate carrier members 30 are fixed by fins 31 to said joiningmembers 26. At one end each has a U-shaped locking member 34 fastenedthereto by a screw 36 and having openings at opposite sides thereof. Atthe other end is a hook-shaped, gunwale engaging member 38 fixed theretoby pins 40, and which has a rubber roller 42 pivotally mounted theretoas at 44. Two cross bars 45 are fastened to and extend between the saidlower arms 28, which serve as braces and also as steps.

A bail-shaped davit 46, such as a rectangular U or curved U, ispivotally attached as at 47 to said connector members 26 at its outer orfree ends. A bar 48 is fastened to and extends between the side portionsof said davit 46 to brace the latter.

A tackle member 50 is shown fastened to and extending between said crossbar 48 and the bridging portion of said davit 46 at the center thereof,as illustrated in Figure l of the drawings. This tackle member 50includes a post 52 having at one end portion an opening 54 therethroughin which is a sheave 56 that is pivotally mounted on a cleat pin 58 thatextends outside the post at both sides to also serve as a cleat. Thereis a reinforcing block 60 adjacent said opening 54 beyond which is along slot 62 extending laterally therethrough, and beyond that a book 64is set in the post, adjacent which and extending through said post is acountersunk hole 66 that 7 receives the knotted end of a tackle rope R.

A locking pin 70 is set in each side of said davit 46 and anotherlocking pin 72 is set in each said holdfast or supporting arm 20, whichpins 70 and 72 extend laterally outward and enter the openings in thesides of the locking plates 34 when my supporting means is locked insupporting position as illustrated in said Figures 3 and 6. Otherlocking pins 74 are set in each holdfast arm 20 and enter openings 76 ineach said lower supporting arm 28 when my supporting means is in foldedposition as illustrated in said Figure 2.

In operation, starting with my apparatus in the position shown by thedotted lines in said Figure 2, and with the tender T having been raisedfrom the water to the position shown in full lines in said Figure 7, thegunwale of the boat rotatably rests in said engaging member 38. Thetackle rope R, is knotted in said countersunk hole 66, and extendstherethrough to and onto a pulley wheel P that is removably connected toan eyebolt E fastened just below the gunwale to said tender T. The ropethen extends to said sheave 56 over which it passes and into theoperators hand. To further draw the tender T from the position shown infull lines in said Figure 7, the portion of said rope R between thepulley P and sheave 56 is passed through said slot 62 and under saidhook 64 and hauled tight, drawing the tender T to dash position shown insaid Figure 7, snug against the davit 46 with its gunwale in saidengaging members 38. The rope is then cleated tight around said cleatpin 58 and left there.

To move the tender T to carrying position, the supporting means 18 ispushed outwardly, as indicated in the dash lines in Figure 2, and thismovement is continued by pushing downwardly on the arch portion of saiddavit 46 until the carrier members 30 extend horizontally as shown insaid Figure 3. Said locking pins 72 are inserted in said locking member34 by compressing the receiving side. Thus the tender is supported andcarried rearwardly of the cruiser C as shown in said Figure 5.

To launch said tender T from carried position, the said pin 72 isunlocked from locking member 34, the weight of tender T causes saidcarrier members 30 to rotatably move clockwise, and said arms 20 and 28to move counter-clockwise, to a position snug against each other andclose to stern board S as shown in full lines in said Figure 2. The ropeR is then loosened and let go, with the operator controlling the speedwith which the tender T strikes the water in a right-side-up position,the gunwale being floated free of said engaging members 38. The operatordescends into the tender by stepping onto both braces 45, one after theother, unsnapping the pulley P from said eyebolt E, and the rope R isstowed on said davit 46. The davit locking pins 70 are released and thedavit is swung downwardly and secured in position against said carrierarms 30.

While I have shown two holdfast arms 20, two lower arms 28 and twocarrier members 30, as suitable, the invention could, under somecircumstances, use only one of each, and likewise more than two could beused. Also the various larger parts can be made of wood, or othermaterial such as metal or plastic.

What I claim is:

l. Davit apparatus for a tender, comprising connecting means forfastening to a crusier, supporting means for said tender movablyattached to said connecting means embodying a carrier member, an uppersupporting arm movably connected to said connecting means, a lowersupporting arm movably connected to said connecting means, a davit, ajoining member, said supporting arms and davit being movably attached tosaid joining member, said carrier member being fixedly attached to saidjoining member, a tackle member supported by said davit, a sheaverotatably mounted on said tackle member, said carrier member embodying agunwale engaging member at its outer end portion to receive the gunwaleportion of said tender and permit rotation therein.

2. Davit apparatus for a tender, comprising connecting means forfastening to a cruiser, supporting means for said tender movablyattached to said connecting means embodying a carrier member, an uppersupporting arm movably connected to said connecting means, a lowersupporting arm movably connected to said connecting means and of greaterlength than said upper supporting arm, and extending diagonally upwardfrom said connecting means in position of use, a davit, a joiningmember, said supporting arms and davit being movably attached to saidjoining member, said carrier member being fixedly attached to saidjoining member, a tackle member supported by said davit, said carriermember embodying a gunwale engaging member at its outer end portion torotatably receive the gunwale portion of a said tender.

3. Davit apparatus for a tender, comprising connecting means forfastening to a cruiser, supporting means for said tender movablyattached to said connecting means embodying a carrier member, an uppersupporting arm movably connected to said connecting means, a lowersupporting arm movably connected to said connecting means, said upperarm extending horizontally and said lower arm extending diagonallyupward from said connecting means in supporting position, a davit, ajoining member, said supporting arms and davit being movably attached tosaid joining member, said carrier member being fixedly attached to saidjoining member and extending laterally beyond the remainder of saidsupporting means in position of use, a tackle member supported by saiddavit, said carrier member embodying a gunwale engaging member at itsouter end portion to rotatably receive the gunwale portion of a saidtender.

, 4. Davit apparatus for a tender, comprising connecting means forfastening to a cruiser, supporting means for said tender movablyattached to said connecting means embodying an elongate carrier memberextending beyond all other parts of said supporting means in carryingposition, an upper supporting arm movably connected to said connectingmeans, a lower supporting arm movably connected to said connectingmeans, a davit, a joining member, said supporting arms and davit beingmovably attached to said joining member, said carrier member at one endportion being fixedly attached to said joining member, a tackle membersupported by said davit, said carrier member embodying a gunwaleengaging member at its other end portion to receive the gunwale portionof a said tender and permit rotation therein.

5. Davit apparatus for a tender, comprising connectmg means forfastening to a cruiser, supporting means for said tender movablyattached to said connecting means embodying a carrier member, a lockingmember attached to said carrier member embodying two sides having holestherem, an upper supporting arm movably connected to said connectingmeans, a locking pin attached to and proectmg therefrom, a lowersupporting arm movably connected to said connecting means and of greaterlength than said lower supporting arm, and extending diagonally upwardfrom said connecting means in position of use, a davit, a locking pinattached to and projecting from said davit, a joining member, saidsupporting arms and davit being movably attached to said joining member,said carrier member being fixedly attached to said joining member, atackle member embodying a post supported by said davit, said carriermember embodying a gunwale engaging member at its outer end portion torotatably receive the gunwale portion of a said tender, said lockingmember and said locking pins being so positioned that when saidsupporting means is in carrying position said locking pins extend intosaid holes in the hides of said locking member.

6. Davit apparatus for a tender, comprising connecting means forfastening to a cruiser, supporting means for said tender movablyattached to said connecting means, two joining members, two elongatecarrier members spaced apart laterally and fixedly atached to saidjoining members and embodying gunwale engaging members at their outerend portions to rotatably receive gunwale portions of a said tender, twoupper supporting arms movably connected to said connecting means, twolower supporting arms movably connected to said connecting means, twocross bars extending between and attached to said lower supporting armsand spaced apart and so positioned that when said supporting means hasbeen moved to position adjacent said cruiser said cross bars serve assteps of a ladder to ascend to said cruiser, said supporting arms beingmovably attached to said joining members.

7. Davit apparatus for a tender, comprising connecting means forfastening to a cruiser, supporting means for said tender movablyattached to said connecting means embodying two carrier members, adavit, two joining members, said davit being movably attached to saidjoining members, and said carrier members being fixedly attached theretoand extending outwardly substantially beyond said davit in carryingposition, said carrier members each embodying a gunwale engaging memberat its outer end portion adapted to receive and engage a gun- Wale.

8. Davit apparatus for a tender, comprising connecting means forfastening to a cruiser, supporting means for said tender movablyattached to said connecting means embodying two carrier members, abail-shaped davit embodying a cross bar, two joining members, said davitbeing movably attached to said joining members and said carrier membersbeing fixedly attached thereto, a tackle member supported by said davitembodying a post attached to said cross bar and a sheave rotatablymounted on said post, said carrier members each embodying a gunwaleengaging member at an outer end portion adapted to receive and engage agunwale, said carrier members extending outwardly substantially beyondsaid davit in carrying position.

9. Davit apparatus for a tender, comprising connecting means forfastening to a cruiser, supporting means for said tender movablyattached to said connecting means embodying two carrier members, abail-shaped davit embodying a cross bar, two joining members, said davitbeing movably attached to said joining members and said carrier membersbeing fixedly attached thereto, a tackle member supported by said davitembodying a post attached to said cross bar and a sheave rotatablymounted on and adjacent one end of said post and a rope engaging memberspaced from said sheave and attached to and projecting laterally fromsaid post, said carrier members each embodying a gunwale engaging memberat an outer end portion adapted to receive and engage a gunwale, saidcarrier members extending outwardly substantially beyond said davit incarrying positron.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,315,895 Worth Sept. 9, 1919 1,799,847 Hall Apr. 7, 1931 2,294,864Palmer Sept. 1, 1942 2,349,268 Hartzog May 24, 1944 2,473,557 WoodruffJune 21, 1949 2,530,840 Post Nov. 21, 1950

